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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Greetings all. I just bought this ultra pack and have been studying. My first question is, can i watch the stylemaker vids from a work computer ( web on my phone & work but not on my music computer, so the help vids from baib are not reachable.)

Second, although i made a successful style, it interpreted the rhythmic chords i used to make it (which just happened to be c major triads), as IV chords in the key of G, even when i re-did a style and turned them into C7 chords. ( I thought that should make them F key dom 7 chords) but i am at a loss to understand why they are interpreted relative to key at all, or what this pop up message has to do with my created style. Does it matter? It wound up giving, for my 8 bars of C7 chords, a chord window with I/VII chords, which would mean it is probably reading the melody track and using my channel 10 drum track line, with f# closed hi hats as the root. Lol. But anyway, why is a pop up about the key being invoked when the chords are interpreted? Does key matter? Or is everything on piano parts simply interpreted on a chord for chord basis, with a major seventh chord, for example, being thought of as having notes relative to the root of the interpreted chord (which would make sense).

Anyway, a simple case like this would help me get this material into my thick skull. Say i have a style and i set CH 1 as piano. A first Maj7 chord exists, then a P5, and a M9 of that chord. If i play a song with the created style, the chord voices i enter on the chord window get "transposed" so baib kknows to play the 7th, then 5th and 9th of any chord entered, in the rhythm entered.

More or less? So key has nothing to do with this?


Last edited by curiousCat; 10/23/13 05:25 PM.
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Hi CuriousCat

Firstly, welcome to the forums smile

In creating styles, you're certainly jumping into the very deep end of the swimming pool.

The videos can certainly be watched on a work computer but it might be that you need to load a special codec. Try them and find out.

I take it that you realise that it's not necessary to create a style in order to play a song. BIAB has heaps and heaps of ready-made styles. When a ready-made style is selected, all that's needed is to type in the chord progression and hit the Play/ReGen button.

Also, there are a number of BIAB videos on Youtube that might be useful.

Good luck,
Noel


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CCat,

Let me also welcome you to the BIAB community. I agree with everything said above, but would add that as far as MIDI is concerned, the Stylemaker is where the sorcery in BIAB lies. This is said to encourage you to continue exploring. "Rolling your own" may be difficult at first, but is particularly satisfying when you get it right. It gets easier as you go along.

Depending on the type of music you do, you may want to check out Bob "Notes" Norton's* website for his offerings. He is a master at creating BIAB Styles and has stretched the limits of what is generally thought possible.

HTH,

Richard

*Mr. Norton is a frequent contributor to the forums.


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I've been using BB for about 5 years and with over 3000+ styles, I can find something that works for me.....

although I did have one song in particular which I recall I could not find a suitable style to recreate this tune...

One of these days.... (I say that a lot) ...when I have the time...(I say that a lot too) ..... perhaps I will set down, read the help files, and dig into the aspect of creating a style for a song that is atypical 80's country outlaw.... or maybe not.

Last edited by Guitarhacker; 10/24/13 04:36 AM.

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Thanks guys!

Okay, i think i will check out "Notes" and see if i can learn.

My issue is that generally what i need is specific and pretty simple. Its a long story. Extra notes are going to be the problem, but i need MIDI of very simple music theory nuggets and BIAB is a great shortcut for me if i can make it work. Searching and previewing is a Loooonnng Haaaauul!

smile thanks again. Keep making music.

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If you want to get a handle on creating your own styles, in addition to reading and learning, it's also very beneficial to select a style, load it in and then have a look at how it's assembled. I've found doing this very useful.

If you're interested in experimenting, select "Styles" (#1), "Stylemaker" (#2) and "Edit Current Style" (#3).



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